World's Edge, the studio behind the Age of Empires franchise, has reportedly lost nearly half of its staff as a result of the recent Xbox restructuring and its subsequent move under Activision's purview. The information comes from former creative director Adam Isgreen, who stated that he was among those let go.
In a forum post, Isgreen detailed the impact of the changes on World's Edge. "What a morning," he wrote. "FYI World's Edge was not spared completely - just under half the studio was let go - myself included. Been fun, y'all!"
Isgreen, who spent over 16 years at Microsoft, highlighted his involvement in numerous projects, including Windows Phone, Xbox Live Arcade, Ori, Minecraft, Trials HD, State of Decay, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, and World of Tanks. He also contributed to the publication of games like Recore, Killer Instinct, Fable, Crackdown, and the Age of Empires series. He expressed pride in what the World's Edge team accomplished with the franchise, noting, "I think the fans would agree (mostly!) that we delivered the goods for all of 'em."
Despite his pride, Isgreen conveyed disappointment regarding the manner in which his tenure and that of his colleagues concluded. "I am of course disappointed that this is the way the time with World's Edge and Age [of Empires] ends for myself and many of my talented teammates that were also impacted," he stated. "We had some great plans for what's next - and I hope the team that remains can rise to the occasion down the line."
The broader Xbox cuts announced yesterday have led to several significant organizational shifts. These include the impending closure of Ninja Theory, the relocation of the Halo franchise development to Activision which has led to the near-closure of Halo Studios, the merger of Playground and Turn10, and Obsidian's integration under Bethesda's control. Rare has also moved under Activision's operational umbrella.
These widespread changes have left many questions regarding their ultimate impact on the affected studios and projects. The full ramifications of these transitions remain to be seen.